Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
Princeton Looks to Secure Positioning at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
November 08, 2017 | Women's Cross Country
The Official Mid-Atlantic Regional Website
The Princeton women's cross country team races at the 2017 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional this Friday, Nov. 9 in on the Lehigh campus in Bethlehem, Pa.
The women's 6k race will begin at 10:45 a.m.. The top two teams in the regional will advance to the NCAA championship meet, which will be held Nov. 15 in Louisville, Ky.
The Tigers are receiving a vote in the latest national poll and are ranked fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Princeton's biggest contenders are the usual suspects of Villanova, Penn State, Georgetown and West Virginia. Those four squads have been in the top five in the region all season. Villanova is ranked No. 9 in the national poll, Penn State is 19th, Georgetown 27th while West Virginia is receiving five votes.
Princeton has claimed the regional title four times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) since the Regional races began in 2005. Villanova has also won four times, Penn State has won three times including back to back titles and three in the last five years, Georgetown twice has won twice.
Other squads competing include American, Bucknell, Delaware, Duquesne, George Washington, La Salle, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola, Marshall, Maryland, Monmouth, Navy, NJIT, Penn, Pitt, Rider, Rutgers, St. Francis (PA), Seton Hall, St. Joseph's (PA), Temple and Towson.
Additionally, the top four runners on non-qualifying teams will earned at-large bids to the NCAAs.
Princeton's top runner could be any number of student-athletes, as the Tiger have had four different No. 1's this season. Most recently junior Gaby Forrest won the Ivy League Heptagonal Championship with a stunning kick down the straight. She has been a scorer all season and was the No. 2 runner at Penn State and Paul Short. Senior Megan Curham, a five-time All-America, recently returned to competition and was the top finisher for the Tigers at Penn State and the No. 2 at Heps. Curham was named All-Region in the two times she raced at the NCAA Regional in 2013 and 2014. Junior Allie Klimkiewicz and freshman Melia Chittenden have been in the top seven in every meet this season, with Klimkiewicz the No. 3 at Heps and two previous No. 4 spots. Chittenden was the No. 3 in the first three races before taking the No. 7 slot at Heps. Junior Madison Offstein and freshman Sophie Cantine have both scored in three of four meets, while sophomore Rachel Granovsky has twice.
Players Mentioned
